The Fool’s Prayer

by: Edward Rowland Sill (1841-1887)

THE royal feast was done; the King
Sought some new sport to banish care,
And to his jester cried: “Sir Fool,
Kneel now, and make for us a prayer!”

The jester doffed his cap and bells,
And stood the mocking court before;
They could not see the bitter smile
Behind the [...]

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Annie and Willie’s Prayer

I remember the house on Santa Fe in Hesperia.  Near Christmas one year, Mom handed me our green copy of Best Loved Poems of the American People and told me to read this one.  I spent the next several weeks memorizing it.  I loved it.  I’d still love to see a good illustrated version of it. 
‘Twas the [...]

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Grandfather’s Clock~

1. My grandfather’s clock was too large for the shelf,
So it stood ninety years on the floor;
It was taller by half than the old man himself,
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.
It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born,
And was always his treasure and pride;
But it stopp’d short – never [...]

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The Face on the Barroom Floor~

‘Twas a balmy summer evening, and a goodly crowd was there,
Which well-nigh filled Joe’s barroom, on the corner of the square;
And as songs and witty stories came through the open door,
A vagabond crept slowly in and posed upon the floor.

“Where did it come from?” someone said. ” The wind has blown it [...]

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The Cross Was His Own~

One of my most and least favorite occasions as a child were school programs.  I remember many but the preparation for one in particular stands out in my mind.  I was given the task of choosing a poem to recite for the program.  I dragged out our trusty Best Loved Poems of the American People  [...]

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